mineral

Quartz Crystal Fragment

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Colorless/Transparent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale)
Color: Colorless/Transparent
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified July 13, 2026More mineral →

Explore Quartz Crystal Fragment in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Colorless/Transparent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Forms in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments. Typically crystallizes from molten magma or hydrothermal veins. Age varies by location, from recent to billions of years old.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics (as a piezoelectric material), glass manufacturing, abrasives, jewelry, and by collectors for its aesthetic and metaphysical properties.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Pure quartz is known as rock crystal or clear quartz.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (it can scratch glass), lack of cleavage, and glassy appearance. Found globally, especially in granite and sandstone-rich areas.